META: What is and isn't allowed to be posted

Ok, I'll be the new guy to say it: WTF should I not post to get negged? (as an aside I know at least one of you guys will neg me...)

In all honesty, and lacking all snarkiness, WHAT TYPES OF POSTS DON'T YOU GUYS WANT TO READ? I'm tired of seeing new people getting negged from you guys who have a bazilion points beacuse they've written something that you just don't like because YOU'VE seen it posted a million times (keeping in mind that us new guys haven't). I don't think I've presonally been negged for a post (this WILL be my first), but I have to ask this so that:

1.) I will know what not to post about

2.) You all can throw up this thread's link when us newbs fail instead of doing you SRSLY? Owl thing

3.) You can now legitamitly expect us new posters to know what NOT to post. If you don't write it here then you have only yourself to blame.

General rules of thumb: No politics, Michigan Athletics is On topic...anything else is probably considered Off Topic (OT) with a few exceptions. OT is more permissible during bye weeks or non-football season, when things aren't as crazy.

Also, goes without saying, but no badmouthing current athletes or recruits... generally, be intelligent in your thoughts. Back up claims, be humble yada yada yada.

Other than reading the FAQ (which is obviously helpful), I think the most helpful advice would simply be not to make new threads until you've gotten acclimated to the board. Reply to threads already created and just get a feel for what people jump down other's throats for.

Once you do get the hang of things, just don't make threads about topics that have already been discussed recently (the search function is great for checking) or are completely off topic. During the season OT posts related to non-Michigan opponent college teams and pro sports are tolerated to an extent, but anything else is frowned upon.

Use of the term "unacceptable" connotes a certain sense of entitlement which is possibly unnecessary. Use of the them "UNACCEPTABLE" in all caps is, in itself, just not necessary. I get that you're angry.

Honestly, for the first 6-8 months I was on here, I just lurked. Get a feel for the board, what kind of content gets talked about all the time, what kind gets under people's skin, etc... Learn the ropes and then start posting.

I have to ask: who the hell is Lloyd Brady? I always thought this was some type of jokey mgomeme, photo-shop-trick. I've read through some old threads, and still can't figure this out. Just some kid who looks like Tom Brady? A relative?

And been through 3-4 names since 2007, because I would forget the name since I rarely logged in. I really got into this blog after the demise of The M Zone, though it is coming back, but just not the same without Benny. I love this blog, but have been extremely slow to start posting because I didn't understand (and still don't quite understand) all of the rules (whether written or implied). So I made it a point to slowly post on here and really try this time. Hopefully I am on the right track

I also followed the Reeses Pieces here from MZone in its heyday, but I lurked for over a year before signing up. Don't worry about the rules, just try to show the kind of courtesy and respect that you would in casual conversation with fellow Michigan fans. In other words, imagine what the MLive board would look like in Bizarro World, and aim for that.

The same can be said for any board. Or any fanbase. Or any workplace. Or any school. Or any etc etc etc.

The simple fact of the matter is that no matter the reason for the gathering, a gathering of people will always result in exactly that: a gathering of people. Any sufficiently random sampling of people will always result in a few pricks, some gays, baby boomers, or just genuinely nice people.

(HOWEVA 100% of them will be murderers and steal from you, steal from me, whatever)

I don't think I've ever negged someone for poor grammar or spelling, but as an editor, it's harder to take someone seriously when their grasp of the English language is ... well, not good. It doesn't take long to look over a two-sentence post and make sure there are no obvious errors (basic typos are totally understandable).

This is exactly where I fall on this as well. I don't like point out someone's errors as that can get annoying, nor do I neg them, but I will stop reading a post/comment if there are numerous spelling and/or grammatical errors. That probably makes me sound like I'm being snooty, but I can't help it.

After lurking for a couple months I finally created my account a couple weeks ago. Since then I've commented about 10ish times, and I've only been negged by a couple people.

Basically my best advice is to post pictures of Lloyd Brady or complain about Fitzgerald Toussaint's health. I think those were my posts that gained the most points. All humor aside, though, that's sort of good advice:

Post about things that people on mgoblog care about, but be original. Humor is always good. If something isn't funny or original, or it goes without saying, people will neg you. Think of it this way - after I read a post, if I feel like my time was wasted, I neg it.

A picture of Pam Ward talking about how awesome Justin Boren (yay comic book bubble style dialogue) is while tailgating next to a barbecue sponsored by Viagra with Denard in an all-maize uniform in the background possibly clutching his wrist.

But first I'd post it as an article on Bleacher Report and then link to it on the board under the headline...

"5 Reasons Why Rich Rodriguez Needs To Be Fired"

But only after thinking about making it a comment on facebook underneath a friend's status that contains a Mom joke.

If you have something to say that is reasonable and supported by facts, post it. Don't worry about points unless you are being a jackass. Protip: Making your avatar a picture of Homer in a Muumuu gets automatic +1's from me.

Threads that are written as a letter to the coaches telling them they need to start beating good teams is always a bad idea. Also, do not come up with wildly outlandish scenarios concerning redshirts or what you think will get Dick Rod or Rodrigay (har har har) fired. Like it or not, we are a fairly pro-RR bunch here.

Along these same lines, your ideas for crazy trick plays with three quarterbacks on the field (or Denard returning punts or lining up on defense or whatever) are played out. Serious strategy discussion, on the other hand, is always welcome.

Nicely put. Basically don't call out the coaching staff unless you are ready to do so in the most respectable and knowledgeable manner known to man. Or acquire a lot of points and tell everyone that DickRod Sukz and we should grab our pitch forks.

There's no need to try and post lots of news. There are some people who only get their Michigan news from the Mgoboard and the blog itself, and that's fine. Before you post what you think is a newsworthy item, just check to see if it's been posted before. If its more than a few hours old, chances are somebody else already posted it to the board.

And don't post random stories about yourself. I can't emphasize this enough. Unless North Korea and angry international drama is involved, then all bets are off.

When replying to posts, it is generally looked upon favorably to use the word "UNACCEPTABLE" in a joking manner. This is considered cool, hip, old-school, funny and clever regardless of how it may appear.

I feel like the MGoBoard is just about ready for sub-boards. Then, we could police these sub-boards with things like "As a matter of order, please post this in the 'Penn State' forum please" and people would be all like "Get off my back proper police!" and then they'd be like "BAH!".

Disagreeing with certain dogma...saying anything bad about RichRod typically evokes getting negbanged from someone even if there is merit to your position unless you are Brian, but this is his blog.

Pictures of hot Michigan cheerleaders, if appropriately done, generally are considered a very good thing and a good way to earn points., including showing how our cheerleaders are "leaders and best" and do things like majoring in biochemistry and go to med school, also known as the "Michigan difference". For example

Good to see someone with way more points than I have agrees. I don't really mind any discussion on here if it is about Michigan football. I don't need to be updated with Chris Rucker's status every 2 days. I don't care about MSU football and I still believe most M fans feel the same way.

And I know I don't have to click it if I don't want to read it, but I also know that there are a lot of Spartys who visit here. It is only going to feed their unwarranted egos to see people on here starting threads about their team everyday.

Being a mod, he has the power to delete these threads, so if there are posters asking for this type of stuff to be removed you can always go here and ask. Also good to read over this page to see what sort of posts have been removed in the past.

I wouldn't delete them in most cases. It would take some vast stupidity for me to deem something "not worthy content." Tim, on the other hand, would probably have deleted this whole thread in a heartbeat.

If your thread is negative toward RR is any way, regardless of how reasonable your take is, a large portion of the regulars will do their best to treat you like your a fool, put up pictures of The Situation, and neg you incessantly.

Other posts that will result in personal insults toward you and possibly your family include:

1. Any post evaluating Denard Robinson that doesn't end with "and he is the greatest thing that has ever happened in the history of the world."

2. Any comment on any scheme, offensively or defensively, that does not include fourteen pages of impressively organized but largely meaningless statistics from past games and years bearing little relevance to the quesion or issue at bar.

It is softening up somewhat, however. Biggest suggestion is who cares if somebody negs you, most of them really have little clue what they are talking about, they just talk a lot. Post what you think regardless, you will be able to spot the open minds after a while.

overanlysis of statistics and data works to both oversimplify and overcomplicate at the same time. Many times the most obvious answer is the correct one, and all of the rest just works as a conclusion in search of support, regardless of how remote and tenuous.

If not, maybe you need to read some of those "negative" posts about RR or Robinson and see if they are anything more profound and thoughtful than "RR needs to have his team play better defense" or "Robinson isn't going to ever be a good QB because he throws INTs." Listen, most of the regulars don't neg people for differing opinions; they will neg for being an ass and/or posting drivel.

Exactly correct. People get negged around here more for their douchy attitudes than their opinions. If you're sitting around asking yourself why you're getting negged for saying something that Brian has said, it's probably because your tone leaves a lot to be desired and that you've proven yourself to be a twit before on the board.

I only pos bang folks anyway, but I think thats why peeps get negged for alternative viewpoints--its the manner with which they present themselves.

Richie is truly showing his SHADY ways......... For Devin to want to stick around and back up Drob his going to be huge Richie is already laying the foundation.............. BUT BUT BUT his back hurts and he could not play. What joke the king is. Why even play him the first game coach? The excuses are are a never ending cycle. WE ARE YOUNG, WAIT TILL HIS PLAYERS ARE HERE, EVERYONE PRACTICES MORE, DROB DIDN'T THROW THOSE PICKS WE WOULD BE #5,IT'S ALL CARRS FAULT, I LOST MY RED WRISTBANDS, ARE SPEEDSTERS ARE REALLY FAST BUT THEY JUST NEED TO GET BIGGER........... The excuses never stop

Admittedly, probably a horrible idea, but it would be interesting to highlight the week's douchiest posts and let the MGoCommunity have at it. The ensuing carnage and comedy could be most entertaining.

Mods could select the comments or perhaps members could simply embed as in the example above. Readers could vote up / down with most pts (or would it be least pts?) to determine the winner. At the end of the "season" the winners could square off to determine king of the hill.

Hmm...reading again, sounds like a fast track to chaos. Sorry but this bye week is killing me; I'm jonesing for an M football fix.

Don't use the term "inside information" when it comes to a players health, changes in personnel, or the fate of RR's employment. I hear enough of this shit out on the street. It's kind of funny that everybody knows someone that is a powerful alumni that has confided in them that Harbaugh is on the way, or that a player is in the doghouse, injured, or transferring. I don't know about the rest of the board, but nothing will make me call bullshit faster than anybody that this term to validate a rumor that they've heard, or an opinion they may have.

I actually like reading reasoned opinons from opposing fans, and they don't need to be positive toward Michigan. $am aka Pogue is one of my all-time favorite posters here, and he's tragically a Buckeye.

But don't be a trolly fan from any other fanbase, especially if you signed up under a name that makes you sound vaguely like a Michigan fan.

get rewarded for good behavior. "Irish" and "Not a Blue Fan" are good examples. Flaming gets you no where and patronizing or snarky comments are good for a harsh neg bang (Not a Blue Fan falls victim to this occasionally).

Don't start a post that begins "TomVH: Blah Blah Blah." That is specifically reserved for TomVH himself and throws everyone off. Social pressure will end up forcing you to change it anyway and you will then apologize to the board. Just save everyone time and don't do this.

In meta-recruiting, MGoBlog has great luck in finding All American diarists, but because we're college football fans, of course we're always on the lookout for the next big thing. My bold prediction: this guy tasnyder01, who created his account just 8 days ago, will one day join the ranks of the Great, Bored, and Need to Share Our Thoughts. He made his diaretic debut this week when I bumped his UFR of Kenny Demens from the board, and he posted that just two hours after a comprehensive rundown of secondary losses that I almost bumped as well. He's still really raw, but if our coaches can teach tasnyder01 to use a WYSIWYG editor we might have a future Diary All Star on our hands. You heard it here first.

3. My personal trick is to address folks as if we are in a room together. You wouldn't walk into a tailgate, crack open a beer, and yell "FIRST!" You wouldn't slur your language (i.e. use bad grammar, spelling mistakes, etc.) to make it less comprehensible. You wouldn't shout at someone you barely know. All the rules that govern etiquette between people apply here as well.

4. Put extra effort into everything you do. Proofread your comments before posting them, and try to put as much original thought into your posts as you can.

What really impressed me about you was right off the bat you sensed that the board was anxious to get some organized opinion on Kenny Demens after the Iowa game, and you took the time to do that. You were also gracious and humble. That's the kind of attitude that works around here.

Disagreeing with the consensus opinion is a GOOD thing, but if you're going to disagree, you have to be extra special gracious and careful to make sure you are presenting good information. Disagreement is where we learn from each other, how we overcome our biases. Magnus has made himself a name on here by being a proficient contrarian -- when he plays Devil's Advocate, he brings an extensive knowledge of the game and Michigan football to the table, and thus his input, as frustrating as it can be when you think you've hit on some bit of penetrating insight that he knocks down in 20 words, is almost always productive. That being said, the consensus opinion of smart, engaged people carries a lot of weight -- people aren't as dumb as they're given credit for. Most of the time when you're in the minority, you're probably wrong (though the majority very mistakenly treats this as "always wrong"). The way to change opinions is with really good data, and then a really good defense of your data. Always remain respectful, especially when trying to change someone's mind, because minds naturally resist changing.

Never, ever, ever let yourself get overly frustrated by someone or a group of someones with a different opinion than yours. It's very good to know your own weaknesses, and be open to others pointing them out. We all have our biases (my particular one, which not enough people call me out for, is that I am obsessed with good defense -- casualty of growing up under Bo and Lloyd).

Remember that a group that's been around a long time is going to have lots of insular things that you need only discover over time. There's no instant-access. You roll until it makes sense. Also remember that every trope, Web-joke, etc. that you know has probably been heard. You have to be really clever, or really topical, to be clever on a board.

Previous board experience is going to be as much hindrance around here as help, because this place is more moderated than any other non-professional board I know of. It's a very grand experiment to see if an Internet community of 200,000 can be kept to the same high-minded level of discussion that a group of 30 insular people might attain. We're not just here to talk about Michigan sports, but to talk about them intelligently. When it starts to sound like MLive or Rivals/Scout boards or Yahoo! message boards, threads get sacked, and those responsible for those threads get sacked. And then those responsible for sacking those responsible for the thread that got sacked themselves get sacked.

Then: llamas.

Finally, I would recommend against any mention of points, ever. They're there because we can't groan or lose eye contact, or do any of the other million bits of body language that indicate distaste.

Too bad your response can't be bumped up to the top of the thread - it's perfect. I spent about two years on the board but never felt I had anything terribly compelling to add until one day I did and created an account so i could contribute. I don't remember what the topic was but whateve it was definitely made me want to comment.

I look at the board like I've walked into a bar full of fellow Michigan fans who I've never met that are discussing something regarding Michigan athletics. Before I open my mouth I better have something new, funny or insightful to offer to the group because they know the topic as well or better than I do. I have found that when you do have something that meets that criteria the board (like the guys at a bar) generally like it regardless of what side of the fence you fall on. If you say something stupid or ill-linformed you will get the same negative reaction the guys in the bar would give you.

good post..i got negged for something ridiculous and it has drastically decreased my interest in the site. No one wants to be affiliated with people who act like that. I go to 4 or 5 games a year, i know (personally)guys on the team, and I have plenty insight from inside the locker room. I think the point system is out of control and only moderators should have the ability to determine someone's capability to post or not.

you've made poor choices in the language you use and made some exaggeratedly negative comments about recruits, which fits in line with this blog's policy of not attacking players. i'd say the point hit you took reflects a disagreement with said comments. clean it up and keep your comments constructive, rather than aggressively negative, and you prob wouldn't have issues.

Is what's up there right now what you originally posted, or did you edit it? Because all I can see is that you're being critical of Hart's natural football talent, not anything personal, but then again I can't see the board reacting the way they did given what's up there now.

it's because that was right in the thick on if Dee Hart was going to commit. posts claiming a player isn't that big of a deal when he likely reads the board raised ire. he wasn't banned and people have the right to use their points accordingly.

Fair enough. I'll refrain from a mod-pts refund, but I'm gonna go plus it, because he has a good point about Hart 2.0's lack of breakaway college spped, and Shaw probably being a better back than Hart 2.0 in 2011, and also that a 5-star DB would be a much bigger deal than a 5-star HB, even if that HB is literally Hart 2.0.

He's under-valuing Dee, considering the kid had offers from pretty much everyone. But geez, people, it's just a scouting opinion. BFD.

I tend to agree although my interest in the site has not decreased (the site is amazing)…only my interest in the board, liveblog, commenting, etc. Most of the posts are not responding to the content of the original post or the content of another person’s post. Instead they’re about how the post included a misspelled word or wasn’t worthy in the first place or whatever. I tuned into the liveblog for the first couple of games and took the time to read the liveblog rules and did my best to abide by them and still had trouble getting many comments posted. Meanwhile I saw dozens of posts from mods who posted word for word comments that the liveblog rules said would get a regular person banned.

I tell everyone who will listen about mgoblog.com and have heard the same thing from some of them…they that love the site but don’t understand/like the concept of a point system, moderators, negs, etc.

Perhaps the point system, moderators and negs are necessary or the site will descend into chaos, in which case I guess it is a necessary evil. But I can tell you for certain that it turns a lot of would-be posters off.

EDIT: Really can't believe someone negged this post. Without even giving me the courtesy of a response. Man that's petty and only serves to prove my original post.

Not that you'd ever do this, but generally, posts having anything to do with faith or spiritual issues are verboten.

Religion on mgoblog is a special category: obviously, spirituality in general is OT, non-PC, and like politics, something that you just don't talk or write about.

However, sometimes religious expression is relevant to Michigan football, because said faith issues are publicly expressed by either staff or athletes. (cf.: Roh, Mealer, Barwis, Denard, et. al.) Even so posts having to do with faith issues still aren't received well by many readers on the board, and are generally best avoided or minimized. I've made my peace with that.

If, as mentioned above, the board ever has sub-categories, "Faith and Michigan Athletics" would probably be an acceptable sub-category and place for such posts. This way, only those who had interest would click on the post.

One other thing that isn't always received well: posts that go over the top with profanity. If someone writes like a drunken sailor talks, I usually stop reading after a while. A good rule to follow is to ask, would I talk like this in public? Of course, the answer to that rule is different for every poster, and I suppose the reality for many here is that they do swear like a drunken sailor anywhere and all the time. So, I suppose I'd modify this to say, speak in your true voice. There are rare exceptions to this: I really loved a recent schadenfruede post from an ND fan that was very liberal in the use of the F word. I'm looking forward to reading the same kind of schadenfruede post when MSU gets placed in a tier 2 bowl at the end of the season.

I vaguely remember Brian once writing about not wanting to embarrass his mom. But you'd have to ask Brian or do a search on what he actually wrote.

I'll definitely concur with those who suggest it is ok to be contrarian, so long as you have researched your argument and articulate it well.

Oh, and one thing I don't recall above: please make liberal use of the return key to start a new thought and paragraph. If you're putting out a list, use bullets or numerals.

I'll definitely concur with those who suggest it is ok to be contrarian, so long as you have researched your argument and articulate it well.

To wit: GoBlogSparty (a Spartan), Irish (an ND fan), and Not a Blue Fan (a Buckeye) are well into positive point territory . They get negged occasionally, but because they argue with reason and rationality (albeit for the wrong teams), they are welcome members of the board.

Although, as has been raised recently... Where the hell are you, Irish?

Do not be that guy; only a complete ass hat pisses on a quality 18 year old athlete because a recruiting service gave them a limited ranking. You might note that the "stars" assigned by the recruiting services are somewhat anecdotal in nature and do not consistently translate into actual on-field performance.

After a loss, take a chill-pill. Don't post reactionary, knee jerk responses the minute the game is over and you're still drunk. Your response will be better received if you wait 24 hours until you're either really "smashed" or you've sobered up.